Do Not Let This Happen



The family collection of vintage photos is very valuable and not replaceable. Yet, you may think you are caring for these treasure family photos when in truth you may be letting anyone of the following damaging events happened right now to those photos / slides / negatives. Review the list and make sure you do not let this happen.

Keep away from extreme heat and humidity. These items can cause mold and fungus to grow and spread over the photo or negative or slide. Instead, keep them in a cool dry location about 70 F degrees with about 50% humidity.

Displaying ancestors portraits is nice but not if exposed to direct sunlight. If it is a color photo the sunlight very quickly destroys the colors. If there is sunlight place the photo in a special filter glass that blocks the UV rays from the sun. Or you can do a good copy of the photo, display that and keep the original in a safe, dry non-sunlight location. 

Do not use scotch tape or any other adhesives on the front or back of photos. They contain chemicals that will cause deterioration.

Keep metallic objects away from photos. Using small or large metal clips or paper clips is not good for negatives or photos.

Do not store photos just anywhere. Use only archival paper, folders, sleeves or boxes. Ordinary boxes have chemicals which can damage the photos. Get archival materials a craft shop and ask before you purchase to make sure they are acid-free and for archival preservation.

A little time to check and change if needed will add decades of life to the treasured family photos.

Photos: Faded photos; Mold on a slide and Mold on a Photo.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Photos Over the Years

Scanning Photos

Preservation of Family Artifacts

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